Seems like the search committee identified a guy capable of continuing on the tradition built by Bond Shymansky and Ryan Theis.
We got some rare Sunday Breaking News as Marquette athletic director Mike Broeker announced the completion of his first coaching search. Just a shade under two weeks after Ryan Theis took the Florida job, Marquette has finalized the details on hiring Tom Mendoza to replace Theis.
Let’s go straight to the press release:
Mendoza has spent the past nine seasons as head coach at the NCAA Division I level, including the last seven seasons at the University of South Carolina, which he’s led to four NCAA tournament appearances. He guided USC to consecutive NCAA berths in his first two seasons in Columbia (2018 and 2019) after arriving following a pair of Big South Conference championships in his only two seasons at High Point in 2017 and 2018. His teams also participated in the NCAAs in 2021 and this past fall at South Carolina.
Tom Mendoza went 47-18 in two seasons at High Point in 2016 and 2017, and followed that up with a 106-90 tenure at South Carolina. Perhaps more interesting to “why would he leave the SEC for this job” is what Mendoza was doing before going to high point. That would be “spending six seasons on the sidelines at Creighton.” Mendoza’s last three years at Creighton coincided with the Bluejays’ first three in the Big East, so he’s familiar with the league already and — presumably? — on pretty good terms with Kirsten Bernthal Booth, the best coach in the entire conference.
Before you go “hey, wait, 106-90 at South Carolina isn’t that great,” you’re right! However, please note: Mendoza took the Gamecocks to the NCAA tournament in 2024 with an at-large berth after going 7-9 in an SEC that finished the year with five teams in the AVCA top 25 and a sixth earning votes. South Carolina went 2-5 in league play against those six teams — ironically earning a season sweep against Florida of all teams — so he’s well versed in what it takes to tangle with those top teams regularly.
The other part about Mendoza’s tenure in Columbia is that when he took his first Gamecocks team to the NCAA tournament in 2018, that was their first NCAA trip since 2002 and their first 20 win season since 2008. It ended up being their first NCAA win since 2002 as well, and in 2019, Mendoza guided the Gamecocks to an NCAA tournament win in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history.
In shifting to the Big East, Mendoza will find himself with less of a night in and night out challenge to stack up league wins. With Marquette, though, he takes on the challenge of guiding the program that is still The Best Team On Campus until their NCAA tournament streak snaps at the very least. Mendoza will be able to pick and choose his non-conference spots in order to get his team into position for NCAA tournament bids year after year, and seeing as he’s taking that on, it seems like a challenge that he’s ready for.
How about some press release quotes?
Athletic Director Mike Broeker:
“We are thrilled to welcome Tom Mendoza to Marquette University,” Broeker said. “Tom brings an exceptional track record of success, most recently at the Power Four level, where he has consistently demonstrated the ability to build competitive, high-performing teams. His commitment to fostering strong relationships with his student-athletes, alongside his deep understanding of the role athletics plays on a Catholic, Jesuit campus, makes him an ideal fit for Marquette.”
“Tom shares our passion for developing student-athletes who excel both on the court and in life,” Broeker said. “His vision for continuing the success of our program aligns perfectly with Marquette’s mission, and we are excited to see the impact he will have in shaping the future of Marquette Volleyball.
“I would also like to express my sincere thanks to Danielle Josetti for her exceptional leadership and dedication throughout our search process. Her hard work and thoughtful approach were instrumental in bringing us to this exciting moment, and we are grateful for her efforts.”
Executive Associate Athletic Director Danielle Josetti:
“The response to our search was incredible, and Tom stood out as an exceptional leader with a proven track record as a head coach,” Josetti said. “He brings the experience and vision to elevate our program, while also being a dedicated and collaborative member of the athletic department. His values align seamlessly with ours, and we are confident he will maintain a competitive edge. Tom is a true winner who knows how to identify and recruit the student-athletes who will thrive at Marquette. I look forward to working alongside him and his staff and extending a warm welcome to his wife, Megan, as part of the Marquette community.”
And finally, Mendoza himself:
“I want to thank Marquette President Dr. Kimo Ah Yun, Mike Broeker, and (MU Executive Associate Athletic Director) Danielle Josetti for their work in this process and entrusting me to lead the volleyball program,” Mendoza said. “I am honored to lead the program into a new era in which we can build on the success and history of those who came before us and work to reach new heights.
“As college athletics becomes increasingly transactional, I believe the values-based personalized college experience that Marquette offers will set us apart in recruiting and developing leaders and high achieving student-athletes. I look forward to the next few days of getting to know the current and future Golden Eagles and talking through what I can do to help them reach their potential both individually and as a team.”
“I have fond memories of my time in the BIG EAST, and I believe the values-based education that Marquette offers attracts and develops high achieving student-athletes and leaders,” Mendoza said. “I know Marquette can be successful on a national level and compete for BIG EAST Championships on a yearly basis.”
Next up on the list of things to do: Figuring out what’s up with the 2025 roster. When Theis left for Florida, there was already three freshmen on campus as early enrollees for spring semester along with sophomore transfer Allyson Eckel. Marquette has another transfer signed in Elena Radeff along with another three freshmen expected to arrive on campus over the summer. Everyone here is well within their rights to figure out the best situations for themselves going forward both in terms of volleyball and their educations, so we’ll have to wait and see what happens as we get closer and closer to August and the first match of the Mendoza Era.
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